Dead Doppelganger
by WhiteGloves
Summary: "Get in here, Stefan!" Damon called in outrage but Stefan remained standing over the Other side. A fact that cannot be changed. He was dead. And now the anchor has been opened, waiting for him but still, the younger Salvatore made no attempt to reach it. He looked at Damon. And finally he said, "No. I'm not going back." Damon's eyes sparked in anger. What will the older brother do?


*******Dead ****Doppelganger***

_by: WhiteGloves_

**_"I can't seem to recognize my feelings when he died. Excited, Surprised- HAPPY?_**

**_Don't get the wrong idea! His death just made me realize how creative DAMON will be when he BLOWS everything up!"_**

_A curious chapter before SEASON FINALE!_

_(taken seconds after STEFAN's heart got taken)_

* * *

A black car swiftly passed by a dark road leaving nothing but dust and the sound of tires screeching after it.

The black haired, green eyed driver didn't even bother to look on his side mirror as he made a quick swerve on the left. The woman beside him with curvy body and wavy hair didn't even bat an eye at the dangerous manoeuvre. Indeed, if these two were in anyway normal—which they definitely were not— the two would've been arguing about how they could end up in an accident with their speed reaching 180 kph.

But nothing of the sort happened.

Instead the two kept their silence in the long drive with eyes strangely too focused ahead. But then every now and then both their eyes would avert at each other—and when they make contact they would distractedly look ahead again.

It was one way to say—it was not a safe drive at all.

But then there were exceptions—especially for vampires.

Elena Gilbert cleared her throat when for the third time their eyes found one another. Damon Salvatore clicked his tongue impatiently.

"You know what, we could set a record tonight." He said oh-so-casually.

"For what?"

"For the longest seconds of looking at each other and not making out." He eyed her so meaningfully it made her conscious of herself but she didn't say anything.

"And that is after _you_ kissed me." He pointed out loudly.

Elena pressed her lips with a little gesture of her hands.

"Look—I told you if I was gonna die tonight I'd rather spend it with you."

"Isn't that unfortunate. The last making out of our lives."

She frowned at him.

"We don't have time to make out. We're dying, Damon."

"Really?" he looked at her sideways, "just when I thought I've never felt so alive."

He smirked at her while she suppressed a smile.

That was when her phone rang.

Elena Gilbert gave Damon a final look before looking at her phone. Realizing it was her blonde best friend, she clicked the answer button at once.

What she heard on the other side was not unexpected—_Caroline was crying and panicking._

"Hey, hold on Caroline," she said trying to sound firm, "I can't understand you. What are you saying?"

"Sexy blondie's finally snapped?" Damon muttered under his breath, "tell her we're not gonna end up dead as doornails, will you? I don't like it when people panic on me before I save their butts."

"Shh!" Elena punched the older Salvatore's arm lightly, "Caroline, what—?"

"_Please help me, Elena!_" Caroline was full of anguish it was impossible to cover her cries and pleas, "_Elena—Stefan! Oh my god, please do something quick! I don't know... I don't know...oh... oh please, help him please!"_

Elena and Damon both looked at each other.

"Caroline, what's happened to Stefan?" Elena slowly felt the dread she was trying not to feel the moment she felt her best friend's voice, "Caroline—?"

Damon tried to pull the phone from Elena but Elena move out of his reach.

_"Help him! Stefan—Stefan's heart got ripped out by Tyler! Oh Elena, please help! Damon! Damon—!"_

The rest of Caroline Forbe's words were drowned as the screech of the tires pulling into a sudden noisy break came next. The black car pulled into another dangerous halt in the middle of nowhere, leaving its marks on the well paved road.

"_No, no Stefan..." _Caroline's wails could still be heard on the other line of the phone which was already left forgotten on Elena's hand who looked like she was about to choke.

"S-Stefan..."she breathed, her eyes starting to brim with tears.

Damon Salvatore looked demented just then as he grabbed the phone from her useless hand.

"_That's not supposed to happen_!" he shouted over it while Caroline cried—then unable to control his emotions, he threw the phone on the windshield which cracked to fragments from the force.

"Damon," the fall of Elena's tears was unstoppable as she clutched on his arms. "Damon, Stefan..."

"Dammit," Damon's eyes were seething as he looked ahead of him. His hands were clutched and there were visible twitching of muscles on his jaws. The older Salvatore looked enraged.

"That's not supposed to happen," he repeated with eyes glaring. He could remember it clearly—just a few minutes ago how he was just standing a foot from his brother when they reunited. But then again—he didn't have time to talk to him—let alone check on him. How could he let his brother die without a word?

_Stupid!_ _It's so stupid! Getting yourself killed—Dammit, Stefan!_

He swore and kept on swearing until his heart was satisfied.

Unfortunately he wasn't. And he continued it deep inside him with eyes burning.

_Why was Stefan always getting the short straw in all their dealings? After everything he did to get his brother back—in the end he still died? And right after leaving him for a second?_

_Dammit!_

Elena wrapped her arms on his neck and cried on his shoulder.

"No..."

"I'm not gonna let him die," Damon muttered with unblinking eyes, "Nobody's gonna die! Not him."

Then without another word, he thrust his hand on the clutch and reversed it. The black car move backwards and made a U turn.

Stefan was definitely not gonna die. Damon made sure of that.

As he raced his car his mind was also racing... to the list of people he will be needing to get _him_ back on this earth. First was that witchy duo. Then that ex-witchy anchor. Then Tyler.

That Tyler's really gonna get it be it him or another mouse hiding in that body. Damon's gonna get him.

He gritted his teeth.

"Now Enzo's got my attention to his problem all to himself." He muttered under his breath.

* * *

A week later, we see Damon avoiding a bottle of champagne that hurtled pass his head.

"Hey, joke's over you miserable twosome ghosts!" he said in his usual voice to both Enzo and Stefan who were comfortably standing on the Salvatore fire side. "They're both there, right?"

He looked at Bonnie who gave Stefan and Enzo a long look before confirming it at the older Salvatore.

"Hmm," Damon made a face so usual for him it didn't come strange, "now I'm jealous of your situation. Is it because my best friend is with my brother or my brother is with my best friend?"

"Tough luck for you, mate," Enzo said in his normal accent, "if you wanna come and join your brother do that once I'm alive. Nice of you to join me." He looked at Stefan who merely pressed his lips.

"What are they saying?" Damon asked Bonnie with a frown, "you know what—I really don't like this. I can't spend my eternity talking to people I can't even see."

"That's why you should hurry up and pull us out, Damon." Enzo looked demented.

"He doesn't need to do that." Stefan said quietly. Enzo looked at him.

"You're implying?"

"He doesn't need to concern himself about us," the younger Salvatore answered.

Enzo gave him _that_ stare.

"You know I don't usually agree with Damon when it comes to you," he babbled on, "remember how he used to badmouth you back in our Augustine days but I think I see his point. You're a dick."

Stefan sighed. Damon raised his head looking curious.

"What's going on?" he looked at Bonnie who shrugged.

"They're arguing."

"Ah," Damon raised the glass he just filled with wine, "bless them."

And he drank.

"Do tell them it's the last time they will have an argument with me not _on _it." He then said with a smirk, "I kinda miss the whole drama. And speaking of..."

The Salvatore front door opened and in came Elena followed by Caroline, Jeremy, Matt, Liv and his brother and another person whom they recognized as one of the trespassers. A traveller.

Damon's eyes glinted.

"Let the show begin."

And he raised his glasses again, and then looked at the body of one tall and dark lying unconscious on the floor.

The leader of the Travellers. Markos.

"This is pretty," Liv said as she stood above the unconscious leader, "how did you subdue him?"

"Talk later, save brother," Damon said impatiently as he pointed at Luke, "we can all celebrate and get all nippy when the people I want are within my _eyesight_ again."

"He talks damn sweet about you sometimes, doesn't he?" Enzo muttered to Stefan who eyed his brother.

Within minutes we see Bonnie sitting near Markos' head. Liv and Luke opposite each other on either side of him, and then the trespasser who was willing to help them standing near his foot.

Things were quiet for some time.

"What are they doing?" Matt muttered to Caroline.

"Trying to open the anchor's door again," the blonde girl answered with a hopeful expression, "with the last blood of the doppelganger we found... this should help."

And she clutched her hands together. Jeremy stationed himself behind his girlfriend and prepared himself for the worst.

Just then— chanting came from all sides of the house.

"Wow, the travellers are all really helping," Jeremy muttered as they look all over the house.

"Well, you know how it works," Damon said with a little funny smirk, "just tell them they'll get a home after one final spell and they are all ready to participate in the game. We should thank Markos for letting them know."

He nudged Markos' body with the tip of his foot and continued—

"The Markos who happens to not act on his own accord thanks to our witchy friends."

A surge of force suddenly came from somewhere, making objects shake and their hair to fly.

"It's happening," Bonnie said as she clutched her fists. "T-the door's opening—ahh!"

Extreme pain hit the slim body of the anchor and the next thing—she was screaming and clutching her body. Jeremy was on her at once while the air continued to violently swirl—

"Make it fast!" the younger Gilbert said sounding urgent.

"Stefan! Enzo!" Damon was shouting all through this, "get to the damn door!"

Stefan watched as Enzo edged toward Bonnie—and then watched his cross over—

The next thing Enzo tumbled on the fireside with a thud. All eyes fell on him and then back to Bonnie who was hanging on.

"H-hurry!" she gasped while Jeremy held her tightly.

"Stefan!" Elena shouted together with Caroline. Damon half expected his brother to come tumbling next but then—seconds passed and no second body emerged.

And Stefan Salvatore remained immobile on where he was standing.

He watched Enzo stand up and then his eyes fell on his brother.

There was a resolute expression on his eyes as he said in his gentle voice—

"Close the door, Bonnie."

Bonnie's eyes widened.

"What are you...?" she said in a hushed tone, making Elena and the rest look at her.

"Bonnie?" Caroline called her best friend. "What's happening?"

Bonnie couldn't say anything as she stared at her best friend.

Bonnie remained staring into a spot with such a serious face, before finally breaking her eye contact and looking at everyone else.

"Stefan said... he didn't want to cross back." And she closed her eyes.

Damon and the rest were left to stare at her in disbelief.

"Not funny bro," the older Salvatore said, his voice rising slowly, "don't make me beat sense out of you—get the hell out of there, Stefan!"

"He said no," Bonnie went on with gritted teeth as Jeremy embraced her, "he said he's trespassed the living and the dead too much... he's not coming back."

"No..." Caroline shook her head, "please, _Stefan!_"

"I'm sorry..." the younger Salvatore muttered with a sad look on her direction.

Elena pressed her lips with tears streaming down her face.

"Stefan..." she whispered, her hands trembling.

Stefan looked at her for a long time and then down the ground.

There was no reason to go back, the younger Salvatore decided. His will to live has long disappeared.

Damon was staring into the place where Bonnie was also staring—the place where Stefan was standing.

"He's really stubborn, that brother of yours," Enzo said once he has stand up behind Damon.

"Please," Damon said with a death glare at the man, "butt out!"

Then whirling around, he continued—

"Stop playing around with decisions, Stefan! Get the hell here now! We don't have time for your saint plays so get the hell here before I come over there and get you myself!"

And still, Stefan remained unresponsive.

"Close it, Bonnie," he repeated.

Bonnie quickly looked at Damon who understood her meaning at once.

"You really wanna do this the hard way?" he said with an icy look. So turning to Enzo, he opened his arms wide and gave his buddy a manic glare. "Rip my heart out, Enzo."

It was not just Stefan—everybody inside the room (except the one who's unconscious) looked at Damon's way with ridiculous expressions on their faces. Even Enzo didn't seem happy.

"Whut?" he said in his usually voice, his eyes lingering on his ex- prison mate.

"I said rip it out!" Damon repeated with eyes flickering angrily. "I'll just go and knock some sense to my brother."

"Damon!" Elena looked helplessly at him but he just gave him a look and raised a finger as if to tell her there was no stopping him.

He turned to Enzo again.

"Rip it," he said through gritted teeth, "didn't you want to do that for some time now? Didn't you want to get your little revenge for Maggie?"

Enzo's eyes sparked at the provocation.

"You're really asking for it." He said darkly, his eyes darkening. Stefan saw his malignant eyes and knew what was to come, "You really want to see your brother that much? I'll help you."

And he sank his right hand deep on Damon's chest and grabbed his heart.

Damon's jaw tightened.

"What—Damon!" Elena called and was about to help but the next thing—another person intervened—knocked Enzo down and pulled Damon—_Stefan_.

Everybody in the room looked relieved to see him but the older Salvatore wasn't.

"Ah," was his first word—before giving the younger Salvatore's cheek a swift punch. The next thing—Damon dragged Stefan down the dungeon of their house in a few strides and threw him in the cell, leaving the mess above to the people involved.

And Stefan straightened and clutched his cheek as he faced his brother who was looking at him with daggers on his eyes.

"What the hell, Stef?" he said through gritted teeth, "do that again and I'll kill you myself!"

"You don't understand," Stefan tried to explain—

"Exactly I don't!" the older Salvatore was on the edge as he stared at his brother, "what gave you the remotely possible idea that remaining dead is a solution to all your worries? If you were just gonna end up feeling this way then you should've decided to kill yourself a long time ago! Do you hate your current life that much?"

Silence fell between the two as they stared at each other.

That was when Damon realized what he had just said.

He realized then that Stefan wasn't living all too blissful just then.

That Stefan wasn't at all too happy. It made him doubt himself a little.

"Is it because... Elena?"

Stefan shook his head.

"That's not just my reason," he cleared when Damon was unable to look at him, "it's not just about her. I didn't decide to stay there because of that. You should've just let me stay there."

Damon's face turned dark.

"Suicidal," he said to his brother after a moment, "were you thinking if you remained there, there would be less problems for us here? Aren't you really thick headed?"

"Damon—we've been living for a long time and will be if we don't die! Didn't you understand why the travellers did the spell? They were trying to restore balance! It may sound wrong for us but it is the right choice!"

"Right choice for who?"

Stefan closed his mouth as Damon lashed at him.

"Why do I have to care for what is right and wrong for the people I don't care about? Don't you understand—this is our life Stef! What's important to me is the right choice for me—there's no such thing as balance for vampires! This is us! This is what we do! I will not let you die by yourself just because of some twisted idea that's gotten on your head!"

And still... Stefan looked unconvinced. Damon licked his lips and couldn't believe how insensitive his brother was— he grabbed Stefan by the collar angrily.

"Don't you still understand? I need you here!"

Stefan stared at Damon.

"Don't you betray me, Stefan." He continued with his eyes dead on his brother, "don't you dare leave me behind."

Stefan stared at him and he understood. Damon kept his unblinking eyes at his brother.

And then finally, like this response took an eternity to come.

"Yeah," Stefan said with a little nod, "I get it."

Damon nodded at him and repressed the urge to hit him again.

"Dammit." the older brother could only mutter with an exasperated look, "as long as you get it."

* * *

**~The End~**

_A day from now and it's SEASON FINALE!_

**_Thank you for Reading!_**


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